After I'm Gone: A Novel

Dead is dead. Missing is gone. When Felix Brewer meets nineteen-year-old Bernadette "Bambi" Gottschalk at a Valentine's Day dance in 1959, he charms her with wild promises, some of which he actually keeps. Thanks to his lucrative - if not all legal - businesses, she and their three little girls live in luxury. But on the Fourth of July in 1976, Bambi's comfortable world implodes when Felix, facing prison, vanishes. Though Bambi has no idea where her husband - or his money - might be, she suspects one woman does: his devoted young mistress, Julie.

What the Dead Know

Thirty years ago two sisters disappeared from a shopping mall. Their bodies were never found, and those familiar with the case have always been tortured by these questions: How do you kidnap two girls? Who or what could have lured the two sisters away from a busy mall on a Saturday afternoon without leaving behind a single clue or witness? Now a clearly disoriented woman involved in a rush-hour hit-and-run claims to be the younger of the long-gone Bethany sisters.

I'd Know You Anywhere

In the summer of 1985, when she was fifteen, Eliza was kidnapped by Walter and held hostage for almost six weeks. He had killed at least one girl and Eliza always suspected he had other victims as well. Now on death row in Virginia for the rape and murder of his final victim, Walter seems to be making a heartfelt act of contrition as his execution nears. Though Eliza wants nothing to do with him, she's never forgotten that Walter was most unpredictable when ignored.

Wilde Lake: A Novel

Luisa "Lu" Brant is the newly elected - and first female - state's attorney of Howard County, Maryland, a job in which her widower father famously served. Fiercely intelligent and ambitious, she sees an opportunity to make her name by trying a mentally disturbed drifter accused of beating a woman to death in her home. It's not the kind of case that makes headlines, but peaceful Howard County doesn't see many homicides.

Life Sentences

Author Cassandra Fallows has achieved remarkable success by baring her life on the page. Her two widely popular memoirs continue to sell briskly, acclaimed for their brutal, unexpurgated candor about friends, family, lovers - and herself. But now, after a singularly unsuccessful stab at fiction, Cassandra believes she may have found the story that will enable her triumphant return to nonfiction.

The Most Dangerous Thing

Years ago, they were all the best of friends. But as time passed and circumstances changed, they grew apart, became adults with families of their own, and began to forget about the past—and the terrible lie they all shared. But now Gordon, the youngest and wildest of the five, has died and the others are thrown together for the first time in years.

Baltimore Blues: Tess Monaghan, Book 1

Unemployed at 29, Tess Monaghan is willing to take any freelance job to pay the rent - including a bit of unorthodox snooping for her rowing buddy, Darryl "Rock" Paxton. In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitz's death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer's notoriety - and his noontime trysts with Rock's fiancée - make the case front page news...and point to Rock as the likely murderer.

To the Power of Three: A Novel

Lippman's brilliant and disturbing tale of three inseparable high school girlfriends in an affluent Baltimore suburb who share dark secrets literally until death, To the Power of Three is this "writing powerhouse" (USA Today), who has "exploded the boundaries of the mystery genre to become one of the most significant social realists of our time" (Madison Smartt Bell) operating at the very top of her game.

Every Secret Thing

Kicked out of a birthday party, 11-year-olds Alice and Ronnie walk home and encounter a baby left in a carriage. Their earnest desire to do a good deed ends tragically, however, and seven years later they are released from "kid prison" to start their lives anew.

Hardly Knew Her

Each of these ingenious tales is a gem, sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, always filled with delightfully unanticipated twists and reversals. For people who have yet to listen to Lippman, get ready to experience the spellbinding power of "one of today's most pleasing storytellers" (San Diego Union-Tribune). As for longtime devotees of her multiple award-winning novels, you'll discover that you hardly know her.

It's Always the Husband: A Novel

Kate, Aubrey, and Jenny first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, despite being as different as three women can be. Kate was beautiful, wild, wealthy, and damaged. Aubrey, on financial aid, came from a broken home and wanted more than anything to distance herself from her past. And Jenny was a striver - brillliant, ambitious, and determined to succeed. As an unlikely friendship formed, the three of them swore they would always be there for each other.

Since We Fell: A Novel

Since We Fell follows Rachel Childs, a former journalist who, after an on-air mental breakdown, now lives as a virtual shut-in. In all other respects, however, she enjoys an ideal life with an ideal husband. Until a chance encounter on a rainy afternoon causes that ideal life to fray. As does Rachel's marriage. As does Rachel herself. Sucked into a conspiracy thick with deception, violence, and possibly madness, Rachel must find the strength within herself to conquer unimaginable fears and mind-altering truths.

The Drowning Girls

Liz McGinnis never imagined herself living in a luxurious gated community like The Palms. Ever since she and her family moved in, she's felt like an outsider amongst the Stepford-like wives and their obnoxiously spoiled children. Still, she's determined to make it work - if not for herself, then for her husband, Phil, who landed them this lavish home in the first place, and for her daughter, Danielle, who's about to enter high school.

The Marriage Lie

Iris and Will have been married for seven years, and their marriage is as close to perfect as it can be. But on the morning Will leaves for a business trip to Florida, Iris' happy world comes to an abrupt halt. Another plane headed for Seattle has crashed into a field, killing everyone on board, and, according to the airline, Will was one of the passengers. Grief stricken and confused, Iris is convinced it all must be a huge misunderstanding. Why did Will lie about where he was going? What is in Seattle? And what else had he lied about?

Behind Her Eyes: A Novel

Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar, and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she's thrilled she finally connected with someone. When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar...who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can't keep his eyes off Louise.

The Heirs: A Novel

Six months after Rupert Falkes dies, leaving a grieving widow and five adult sons, an unknown woman sues his estate, claiming she had two sons by him. The Falkes brothers are pitched into turmoil, at once missing their father and feeling betrayed by him. In disconcerting contrast, their mother, Eleanor, is cool and calm, showing preternatural composure. Eleanor and Rupert had made an admirable life together - Eleanor with her sly wit and generosity, Rupert with his ambition and English charm.

Final Girls: A Novel

Ten years ago college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie-scale massacre. In an instant she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to - a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls.

One Perfect Lie

On paper, Chris Brennan looks perfect. He's applying for a job as a high school government teacher, he's ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach, and his references are impeccable. But everything about Chris Brennan is a lie. Susan Sematov is proud of her son, Raz, a high school pitcher so athletically talented that he's being recruited for a full-ride scholarship to a Division I college, with a future in major league baseball. But Raz’s father died only a few months ago, leaving her son in a vulnerable place where any new father figure might influence him for good - or evil.

I Liked My Life: A Novel

Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch...until she commits suicide, leaving her husband, Brady, and teenage daughter, Eve, heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened. How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives?

Liar

How far would you go to protect your family? Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children, with the help of his devoted mother, Judi. And then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben, but Judi isn't so sure.... There's just something about Amber that doesn't add up. Ben can't see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn't want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children.

The Woman Next Door

Two suburban women. Two dark secrets. The almost perfect murder. Everybody needs good neighbours.... Melissa and Hester have lived next door to each other for years. When Melissa's daughter was younger, Hester was almost like a grandmother to her. But recently they haven't been so close. Hester has plans to change all that. It's obvious to her that despite Melissa's outwardly glamorous and successful life, she needs Hester's help.

Beware That Girl

The Haves. The Have-Nots. Kate O'Brien appears to be a Have-Not. Her whole life has been a series of setbacks she's had to snake her way out of - some more sinister than others. But she's determined to change that. She's book smart. She's street-smart. Oh, and she's also a masterful liar. As the scholarship student at the Waverly School in NYC, Kate has her work cut out for her: Her plan is to climb the social ladder and land a spot at Yale. She's already found her "people" among the senior class "it" girls.

Pretty Baby: A Novel

Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: She works for a nonprofit and takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal - or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.

Never Let You Go

Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started over with a new life. Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with her own business and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When Andrew is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties and left the past behind her. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move.

Publisher's Summary

Audie Award Nominee, Mystery, 2013

Perennial New York Times and national best-selling author and acclaimed, multiple prizewinner Laura Lippman delivers a brilliant novel about a woman with a secret life who is forced to make desperate choices to save her son and herself.

Heloise considers it a blessing to be a person who seldom attracts attention. In her suburb, she's just a mom, the young widow with the forgettable job, who somehow never misses a soccer game. In the state capital, she's the redheaded lobbyist with a good cause and a mediocre track record. But in discreet hotel rooms throughout the area, she's the woman of your dreams - if you can afford the hourly fee.

For more than a decade, Heloise believed she was safe, managing to keep up this rigidly compartmentalized life. But her secret life is under siege. One county over, another so-called suburban madam has been found dead in her car, an apparent suicide. As 40 looms and her son enters adolescence, Heloise is facing a midlife crisis with much higher stakes than most will ever know. With no formal education, no real family or friends, Heloise has to remake her life - again. Disappearing will be the easy part. The trick is living long enough to start a new life.

Where does And When She Was Good rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listened to every Laura Lippman book on Audible. This was one of her best - Linda Emonds rocks as a narrator. I wish she narrated more books!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. There were unexpected twists and turns to the story that kept me wondering what would happen next. Heloise's choices make sense based on what we learn of her past. Laura Lippman is a master of character development.

Have you listened to any of Linda Emond’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to every Linda Emond performance of L. Lippman's books. This was one of her best. They are all good though.

Who was the most memorable character of And When She Was Good and why?

Oddly, I was drawn to the character of Audrey and her pivotal role in the story. She was a constant yet she still remains a mystery. In a good way.

Wow! How to describe this book and its main character? Different, compelling, intriguing, appalling, thought-provoking - all come to mind.

Laura Lippman is a great writer, and she delivers here. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The book is structured in the one-chapter-in-the-present, one-chapter-in-the-past format. I'm not generally a fan of that style, but it works here, and the build up of interest and tension is palpable.

If you are like me, you will find your sympathies shifting around a lot in "And When She Was Good." Whether you believe this unique character and her story to be symptoms of the decline of civilization or an increase in tolerance, I think you'll find it to be thought-provoking and entertaining.

I am definitely going to read more Laura Lippman. I enjoyed this book very much and the narrator was fantastic. The story line was well-thought out and filled in all the details in a perfect way for the reader. Very nicely developed.

A truly well-written novel with complex, imperfect characters - - in other words, real people. I like that this book talks about sex and prostitution without having to rely on the stereotypical graphic sex descriptions (not that there's anything WRONG with that) and relies instead on understanding the why and how of the main character. Love the narrator - - good job with being able to differentiate between characters. Throw in a family study and good who-dun-it and you've got a really good summer novel.

It's easy to be a Laura Lippman fan, especially when she writes such rich and complex characters like Tess Monaghan. But in this novel we meet another strong and complex woman in Heloise Lewis. As always, Lippman keeps you guessing to the very end. I hope we hear more from Heloise, and maybe even a novel featuring Tess and Heloise together!It's a good one.... you won't be sorry!

Very interesting story, may seem slow to some, but I liked it. I thought this story had a great plot line and definitely wasn't predictable! Now I'm interested in the rest of the books by Laura Lippman. I would def reccomend this book.

This book fails in a number of ways. It is difficult to really like the heroine. There are threads that are not developed--there is a problem between Heloise and her half sister that is introduced but never explained. The ending is very predictable, unrealistic and way too pat. I think that there was a reason that this book was put on hold for ten years.

This is a stand-alone in which Helen, an abused highschool girl, leaves home and becomes part of an escort service. But when she finds she is pregnant, she turns in her handler/pimp for murder and he is convicted to life with no parole. Helen becomes Helloise and runs her own escort service with the cover of being a lobbyist. She does very well until a “madam” in the next county is murdered, and she realizes that it is someone who also worked for her handler. She begins to realize that she is in desperate danger, particularly to keep her son unknown to his pimp father. She has decided to get out of the game, but she has continued to pay money to her pimp in jail and he doesn’t want to lose the income. She wants out of the game, but will she live long enough to get out and bring her son with her? A gripping book which Linda Emond narrates with just the right amount of coolness to represent Helloise’s point of view. Very good, as usual.

This is typical Lippman -- perhaps even a tad better than most. As usual, she entertains from beginning to end. Yes, the story is a little preposterous, but who cares? You are rooting for Heloise, even when she makes the politically incorrect decisions. (What's a girl gonna do?) The narrator is terrific, delivering the tone that I believe Lippman intended.